23 Unbelievably Good & Lesser-Known Food Gems In Mumbai: Vol. II

Recently, we found our phones pinging with WhatsApp forwards talking about some of the most delicious, often entirely hyper-local meals in Mumbai—meals that aren’t necessarily found within the plush confines of five-star establishments, fusion pop-ups or the likes thereof, but rather, those found in eateries that have been dishing out the same items for decades, ensuring that what you find placed in front of you is nothing short of iconic.

When we poked around a little further, we discovered that this list was compiled in 2014 by a certain Jay Amrutia for Kadvacorp, whose passion for food is plain to see. We’re tipping our hat to him because we discovered that this list, which we’ve broken down into two digestible parts, is nothing short of a foodie’s wet dream. The kind that it takes serious know-how and a true penchant for culinary adventure that takes you to every street corner and every hole-in-the-wall spot you never thought you’d get the very best dal pakwan in.

Yesterday, we brought you Vol. I. Today, it’s time for Vol. II. Scroll down to see the second part of this food series started by Mr. Amrutia, who, unknowingly, may have started something. We plan to be utterly shameless and knock a few of these off our list this long weekend itself. We’ve also created a special map of all these places for you below so you know just how to best navigate your way through the city’s mean streets to satisfy your belly at the earliest.

1) At Gurukripa, the samosa is legendary. In fact, this eatery still supplies most old-school cinemas with their daily quota of samosas that feed hungry patrons. (Rs. 40)
2) At Krishna, the batata vada gets us every time. Try it yourself and find out why. (Rs. 45) 
3) At Not Just Desserts by Sabina, the fruitcake wins hands down. (Rs. 35)

4) At Café Moshe’s, their multigrain bread makes for great homemade sandwiches. Take a loaf home. (Rs. 55)  
6) At Soam, brave the endless queue for a table and get the jowar pita. (Rs. 250)
7) At Naturals, cool off with their signature sitaphal ice cream and tender coconut ice cream. (Rs. 50)

8) At Hotel Gopal, the bisi bele bath is great comfort food. (Rs. 54)

9) At Yazdani Bakery and Resturant, the brun maska is great, especially when dipped into a cup of Irani chai. Pack a loaf of their olive & herb bread to go.
10) At Hotel Ramashray, satisfy your South Indian cravings with their neer dosa and garlic chutney. (Rs. 45)

11) At Adarsh Dadar, their signature drink, called Piyush, which is made of shrikhand and buttermilk, which are whisked together with nutmeg and cardamom. (Rs. 40)

12) At American Express Bakery, get their whole wheat baked chips. (Rs. 10)

13) At Tribhuvan Dairy, you’d be making a mistake by not getting the pure milk peda. (Rs. 600 per kg)

14) At Laxman’s Om Vada Pav, give in to curiosity and try the Jain vada pav. A vada pav without potato seems pointless, but it’s still tasty. (Rs. 14)

15) At Gajanan, the vada pav has an almost fanatic fan following. So why bother with anything else? (Rs. 13)
16) At Sin City, ignore the baked goods and get the baked cheese vada pav. (Rs. 30)

17) At Fortune Deli Majiwada, the Jain kathi roll is a real treat. (Rs. 240)
18) At Goriawala, we’ve been wolfing down their delicious chocolate cake since we were young and swear by it. (Rs. 760 per kg and Rs. 800 per kg for eggless)

19) At Vinay Health Home, the coconut-based Patalbhaji Pav, made with colocasia leaves and chana dal, has an interesting sweet-and-sour note to it. (Rs. 50) 

20) At Mohanlal S.Mithaiwala, the kismet halwa is their signature bestseller. Get a couple of boxes to go. (Rs. 680 per kg)
21) At, Cafe Royal, order the Paneer Shashlik sizzler. Yes we know ordering a vegetarian option at a sizzler joint seems strange, but give it a shot. (Rs. 550)
22) At Mamledar Misal, don’t over think. Order the misal pav. (Rs. 45)
23) At Mani’s Lunch Home, get the Rice Plate, which comes with roti, rice, rasam and sambhar, three standard South Indian sabzis, curd and chaas.